Up to 1,200 unaccompanied minor children fleeing across the border to be housed at Fort Sill

McNair Hall, Post Headquarters building at Ft. Sill in Lawton, Thursday, May 13, 2010. Photo by Jim Beckel, The Oklahoman

LAWTON — The U.S. Department of Homeland Security plans to use Fort Sill to house up to 1,200 unaccompanied minors who illegally crossed the southern border of the United States, the Oklahoma governor’s office said Friday.

A flood of young people, often fleeing violence in Central America, have been coming across the border.

Usually between 13 and 17 years old, the number of these young people fleeing into this country has grown from 6,000 in 2011 to 66,000 last year, said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore. They typically go into the custody of U.S. Border Patrol agents. While adults who come across the border illegally can be returned to their home county quickly, these children typically are transferred into a shelter program until family members can be found.

Gov. Mary Fallin said her office was informed Friday of the plans to use Fort Sill, and Sen. Jim Inhofe said officials at the military installation have been told to prepare to receive children as early as Tuesday.

Fallin immediately criticized the president.

“The Obama administration today informed the state of Oklahoma that Fort Sill will be housing up to 1,200 unaccompanied minors who came into this country illegally,” she said. “While they have assured my office this arrangement is temporary, the Obama administration continues to fail in its duty to protect our borders and continues to promote policies that encourage, rather than discourage, illegal immigration.”

An official in the Fort Sill media office said no information was being released about the reports.

Cole expressed frustration but said the military and civilians were up to the task of helping the children.

“I have no doubt that the Department of Defense, the U.S. Army and the command and soldiers at Fort Sill will execute any order they are given or task they are assigned professionally and humanely,” Cole said. “I am equally confident that the Lawton community will do whatever it can to support the soldiers at Fort Sill as they go about discharging the duties which they have been assigned.”

He also criticized the Obama administration and said the state should have received earlier word about the plans to house the children at Fort Sill.

The White House said earlier this week that the “urgent humanitarian situation” had prompted the opening of facilities in Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio and at a U.S. Naval base in Ventura County, Calif., to house the young people, many escaping violence in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador.

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Rick Green is the Capitol Bureau Chief of The Oklahoman. A graduate of Humboldt State University in Arcata, Calif., he worked as news editor for The Associated Press in Oklahoma City before joining The Oklahoman.